Israel soldiers accused of assaulting journalists

The Israeli army has been accused of mistreating journalists after soldiers
allegedly assaulted two cameramen before forcing them to strip and kneel in
the street, and exploding a tear-gas canister in their faces.

The Israeli Defence Forces said it was taking the allegations seriously and was launching an inquiryPhoto: AP

One of the cameramen needed hospital treatment after the incident, which is said to have happened in the West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday evening.

The journalists, Yousri Al Jamal and Ma'amoun Wazwaz, who were both working for Reuters news agency, were driving to a check point where a Palestinian teenager had earlier been shot dead by an Israeli soldier when they were stopped by a military foot patrol.

The journalists say they were accused of working for B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights group that monitors abuses in the West Bank, even though they were wearing flak jackets with "Press" emblazoned on the front and their vehicle bore "TV" markings.

The soldiers forced the men to leave the vehicle then punched them and struck them with rifle butts, Reuters reported.

The men said they were forced to strip to their underwear and made to kneel on the road with their hands behind their heads. Two other Palestinian journalists working for local news outlets were also stopped and forced to the ground.

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A soldier dropped a tear gas canister between the men before the army patrol fled. Mr Jamal and Mr Wazwaz then tried to get into their car and drive away but stopped and abandoned the vehicle because it had filled up with tear gas. They say the soldiers then fired more gas in their direction.

Mr Wawaz was overcome by fumes and taken to hospital in an ambulance. He was later discharged.

Reuters' editor-in-chief, Stephen Adler, said a complaint had been made to the Israeli military. "We deplore the mistreatment of our journalists and have registered our extreme dismay with the Israeli military authorities," he said.

The Israeli Defence Forces said it was taking the allegations seriously and was launching an inquiry. "The regional brigade commander was ordered to open an investigation," a spokeswoman, Avital Leibovich, said in an email.

The incident followed the death of a 17-year-old Palestinian, Muhammad al-Salameh, on Wednesday at a check-point near his home after being shot by an Israeli soldier. The IDF said he had been shot after pulling out a gun that later proved to be a toy. His family have disputed that version of events.

His funeral on Thursday was marked by clashes between stone-throwing Palestinians and Israeli troops. Tensions in the Hebron area have risen in recent days following several confrontations between Israeli forces and demonstrators. One incident, uploaded on YouTube, showed soldiers retreating under a hail of stones thrown by Palestinian youths.

Hebron's old city, which is under Israeli military control, is home to 800 Jewish settlers and 30,000 Palestinians.